The State Fair Community College Foundation recently received another $18,000 gift from the Gene Haas Foundation for the college’s Precision Machining Technology program.

According to a news release, the Gene Haas Foundation’s primary goal is to build skills in the machining industry by providing grants and scholarships for CNC (computer numerically controlled) machine technology students and NIMS (National Institute for Metalworking Skills) credentials.

SFCC’s relationship with the foundation developed about seven years ago when the college purchased nine CNC machines for its machining program from Haas Automation, Inc., headquartered in Oxnard, California.

Justin Wright, SFCC’s Precision Machining program coordinator and instructor says, “The Gene Haas Foundation is so much more than just a scholarship; it is truly a partnership between a top CNC manufacture and SFCC.” He continued, “The machining program at SFCC has positioned itself to be a direct pipeline to the Machining industry by recently hiring another full-time instructor, adding new equipment throughout the classrooms and shop space, not to mention the new Olen Howard Workforce Innovation Center, which will double the size of the existing Machining and Welding programs.”

School officials say later this spring, the program’s classrooms and labs are scheduled to move from the Fielding Technical Center into the new Olen Howard Workforce Innovation Center. The new center is designed increase the college’s capacity to deliver workforce training to more students.